The Ultimate Dystopian & Post/Apocalyptic Films List (1300+ TITLES!)

a reply to: IgnoranceIsntBlisss

Naw, Predator 2 was in Los Angelos . That was just LA being typical lol!

a reply to: IgnoranceIsntBlisss


So freakin awesome. I will get back to you in about 5 years after I download and watch all the ones I have never seen. Thanks for this as I was just recently looking for a list for PA films. Needless to say it wasn't quite this comprehensive. Well done and much appreciated.

ARQ (2016)



Just finished this. Pretty good!

Corporate dystopia in a post apocalyptic world. High tech in a low tech setting. Excellent use of a low budget.

[The oil supply has run dry, and corporations fight against nations for the world's remaining energy supplies. Trapped in a house and surrounded by a gang of mysterious masked intruders, an engineer (Robbie Amell) must protect a technology that could deliver unlimited energy and end the wars that have consumed the world. The only problem is that the technology has created a time loop that condemns him and his friends to relive the same day over and over.]
www.imdb.com...
en.wikipedia.org...(film)

a reply to: worldstarcountry

Right... DYSTOPIA!!

Found and finished Stakelander (Stakeland 2).

It was decent. Not nearly as good as the first.

Looking for some suggestions from this list. Anyone share their favorites with me?

a reply to: Lucid Lunacy

CLOUD ATLAS (2012)

I was stunned by this film. And then I was shocked at how it didn't receive a single major award nomination. At the time, until this very summer, I was tuned out of politics & social media trends and had no clue all this "SJW" stuff was going on. When I saw that Cloud Atlas might as well been some crappy low budget B list flick in Hollyweird's eyes (I mean not even the makeup dept. got one), my only theory was it must have had something to do with 'politics' in response to the Wachowski's going full blown transgender. Imagine my surprise this year when I finally sat up and saw all this SJW mania tearing the nation apart, with none other than Hollywood as one of the main ringleader fountainheads in the affair. Talk about a psychological thriller set within a surreal dystopia!!



[An exploration of how the actions of individual lives impact one another in the past, present and future, as one soul is shaped from a killer into a hero, and an act of kindness ripples across centuries to inspire a revolution.]
[Actors (Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent) take on multiple roles in an epic that spans five centuries. An attorney harbors a fleeing slave on a voyage from the Pacific Islands in 1849; a poor composer in pre-World War II Britain struggles to finish his magnum opus before a past act catches up with him; a genetically engineered worker in 2144 feels the forbidden stirring of human consciousness -- and so on. As souls are born and reborn, they renew their bonds to one another throughout time.]

www.imdb.com...
en.wikipedia.org...(film)
en.wikipedia.org...(novel)

In revisiting this list project, I considered numerous "conspiracy" films. Not many made the list; I decided is its not out 'in the public' / has major social implications (as does Enemy of the State), but instead the implications are purely covert (i.e. Jason Bourne), then they shouldn't qualify.

Next up is an interesting case study. I had watched this without even seeing a trailer, so had no idea what I was in for. I find this often makes for the best viewing. For example, when I saw Dark City in the theater, we were late and missed the first few minutes where they actually explain there's some alien conspiracy sort of thing at play. We were mystified in the grand mystery pretty much right until the end... and LOVED IT. Later when I got the DVD I was blown away at how they plot spoiled their own film in the opening narrative. Imagine if in Fight Club they spelled it out like that that Tyler Durden... (well I wont plot spoil it).

MONEY MONSTER (2016)

This films features what we might call an 'economic dystopia'. One the real world is still experiencing no less. And it has a corporate / bankster conspiracy element to it as well. Good script. Good acting. Solid production. And considering the backdrop, the proper use of the expression "good times".


[Financial TV host Lee Gates and his producer Patty are put in an extreme situation when an irate investor takes over their studio.]

www.imdb.com...
en.wikipedia.org...

And adding to this 'economic dystopia model'...

TRADERS (2015)

Another great example of making a good flick on a low budget. I suspect there might already be some sort of Pokemon Go app thing for this, this and Fight Club too of course.


[What if it made perfect sense for ordinary people to kill each other for money? Better than slow grinding financial ruin and misery, and all done according to a strict code by consenting adults. This is Trading.]
www.imdb.com...
[Harry Fox seems to have it all, the luxury apartment, the fancy car, but when the company he works for goes bust it looks like he will lose everything. A solution is offered by Vernon Stynes who has masterminded a diabolical, all-or-nothing scheme based in the Deep Web, called Trading. Two strangers empty their banks accounts, sell their assets, and put their entire worth in cash into a green sports bag. They travel to a remote location and fight to the death. Winner buries the loser and walks away twice as rich. Vernon believes Trading is a no-brainer for anyone who wants to get rich quick. Can Harry resist the lure of such a high risk gamble? It's dangerous. It's illegal. But it could solve all his problems.]
www.rottentomatoes.com...

Very few documentaries made the list, and if they did they were more like 'documentaries of sorts'.

Yet this documentary series was mandatory, even being PA where dystopia's were the real driving force of this project:

LIFE AFTER PEOPLE (2008)

I suppose this one too is sort of a 'documentary of sorts', being an hypothetical and a pure one at that. The general tone is what happens to 'everything' if humans simply vanished (some episodes format follows what would trigger in such an instance). It actually started with an original full length piece, which they then ran like 2 seasons after that. Really interesting stuff!

The original 'episode' (pilot):

[What would happen to planet earth if the human race were to suddenly disappear forever? Would ecosystems thrive? What remnants of our industrialized world would survive? What would crumble fastest? Life After People is a television series on which scientists, structural engineers, and other experts speculate about what might become of Earth should humanity instantly disappear.]
www.imdb.com...
en.wikipedia.org...
www.history.com...

Here goes a fresh hit on torrents, from Ridley Scott:


MORGAN (2016)

Haven't seen it yet, but it strikes me of having many of the same hallmarks as Ex Machina (2016), and Uncanny (2015), where a film simply having AI doesn't make it a dystopia, but the situation these humans have their 'cybernetic organisms' under is.


[Morgan (Anya Taylor-Joy) is a bioengineered child who began walking and talking after one month of existence, exceeding the wildest expectations of her creators. When Morgan attacks one of her handlers, a corporate troubleshooter (Kate Mara) visits the remote, top-secret facility where she's kept to assess the risks of keeping her alive. When the girl breaks free and starts running amok, the staff members find themselves in a dangerous lockdown with an unpredictable and violent synthetic human.]

www.imdb.com...
en.wikipedia.org...(2016_film)

EX MACHINA (2015)


[Caleb Smith (Domhnall Gleeson) a programmer at a huge Internet company, wins a contest that enables him to spend a week at the private estate of Nathan Bateman (Oscar Isaac), his firm's brilliant CEO. When he arrives, Caleb learns that he has been chosen to be the human component in a Turing test to determine the capabilities and consciousness of Ava (Alicia Vikander), a beautiful robot. However, it soon becomes evident that Ava is far more self-aware and deceptive than either man imagined.]

www.imdb.com...
en.wikipedia.org...(film)

UNCANNY (2015)


[The world's first "perfect" Artificial Intelligence begins to exhibit startling and unnerving emergent behavior when a reporter begins a relationship with the scientist who created it. ]

www.imdb.com...
en.wikipedia.org...(film)

a reply to: IgnoranceIsntBlisss

I actually really like Morgan. Saw it in the theater and again last night. It has some parallels to Hanna as well (a movie I love).

Word of warning, the movie bombed in box office and most seem to not like it on IMDB forum.

Also, it's directed by Ridley Scott's son.

Funny you mentioned Uncanny as I downloaded it last night to watch today.

a reply to: Lucid Lunacy

I haven't seen Hanna (2011). The jist reminds me of another about a girl along those lines (was more Latin American centric if I'm remembering correctly), I can't think of the name right now.

Am watching Morgan...
Leave it up to humans to build a retreat esque commune for scientists in a plush NW rainforest, and in the underground bunker of a mad scietists lair, bio- & nano-engineer a congitively enhanced human, and raise it under perptual observation locked up inside said underground mad science lair, not even give 'it' any pets or houseplants or wall decor to cover up the 'concrete drab' 'dystopic deco' interior design, and then expect ideal results to follow!!

It just occurred to me that I cant think of a single dystopian film in the list originating from India (the worlds largest films producing nation)...


MATRUBHOOMI: A LAND WITHOUT WOMEN (2003)

Definitely a unique concept from any other dystopia on the list. This one sounds like it could be a crash course on the potential endgame of a perpetual Third Wave Feminist "Social Group Warfare" agenda against all of the the men of Planet Earth. It also sounds like an exploitation flick, which sounds about right in what such a dystopia would play out like (just kill me now).



Here's the full film (in Hindi):
www.youtube.com...

[A woman, attended by two midwives, is giving birth in a small village in India. When the child's cry rings, the father bangs on a steel plate to attract the attention of all the villagers, who assemble, eager to hear the good news. But when the midwife announces that the child is a daughter, the banging stops, followed by a stunned silence. Shortly thereafter the father takes the baby and drowns it in a Calderon of milk. This practice continues on and as a result, many years later there are men and boys everywhere and no women. A widowed man, Ramsharan, ponders his plight and that of his two grown son, who he is unable to get married. No marriage has taken in this village for 15 years, save for one, which was annulled as the young 14-year old bride turned out to be a 14 year old boy. But there is hope when a friend informs Ramsharan that he has located a bride for his eldest, a beautiful young woman named Kalki, who lives nearby, sheltered by her father. Ramsharan pays a substantial dowry for Kalki and gets her married to his eldest - or so he hopes - for every male in the village, including his younger son, Sooraj, and he himself wants a piece of Kalki - for himself - and are willing to do anything to satiate their non-existent sex-life. ] www.imdb.com...

[Matrubhoomi: A Nation Without Women (Hindi: मातृभूमि, translation: Motherland) is a 2003 Indian film written and directed by Manish Jha. The film examines the impact of female foeticide and female infanticide on the gender balance and consequently the stability and attitudes of society. Its storyline bears some resemblance to real-life instances of gender imbalance and economics resulting in fraternal polyandry and bride buying in some parts of India.[1] It depicts a future dystopia in an Indian village populated exclusively by males due to female infanticide over the years.] en.wikipedia.org...

Another from "Bollywood". This might be the only other one...

RAAKH (1990)



[As declared in the subtitles of the opening scene, the events of the film takes place in a big city in India. After the police riots of 1990, the State Forces were disbanded and replaced by a central one. The police now had more powers. The crime rate continued to escalate. In the wealthier quarters of the city though, life went on… but it was an uneasy calm.]
en.wikipedia.org...
www.imdb.com...

I'm seeing numerous full versions on GooTube, but not noticing any full versions that also contain English subtitles...

All this obscurity hunting reminded me of "WAKALIWOOD", Uganda's first action movie studio.

So far I've only seen a bunch of highlight reels, so can't speak specifically towards which of their titles might be 'proper' dystopian pieces, but I cant foresee doing an action flick list, while they live in what I would call a real world dystopia. Tons of clips in GooTube from content (including full films), to in the making of and interviews. Its blatant these folks are genuinely having a good time doing their work, which tells me film can be a way to help lifts the spirits of such harsh conditions. I know the special effects are a lot of 'spicy' fun! It reminds me of how much of the best food on earth comes from 'poor' places. And no doubt, even "Commando Jesus" is snacking on an ethnic treat!





watch.wakaliwood.com...
en.wikipedia.org...
www.youtube.com...
www.indiefilmhustle.com...

Since its late and I'm already on the obscure zany foreign flicks kick...


BRAZILIAN STAR WARS (1978) [aka Os Trapalhões na Guerra dos Planetas]

[Coming of the space, the prince Flick (Pedro Aguinaga) asks the Trapalhões (The Dabblers) for help to free the planet where lives of the domain of evil Zuco. He offers a reward, it accepts for the four friends, that embark in a spaceship by a called hairy monster Bonzo. In the planet, they use tricks and they win Zuco, but they don't get to save Princess Myrna's life, that had been kidnapped by the thief. She should be substituted in the throne by Loya, exactly the girlfriend of Didi, that knew during the adventure in the strange planet. Already in the Earth, os Trapalhões (The Dabblers) think that everything didn't pass of a dream, but they are convinced otherwise when they come across a jeep full of bars of gold.]

en.wikipedia.org...
www.imdb.com...

TURKISH STAR WARS (1982) [aka Dünyayı Kurtaran Adam]

[Dünyayı Kurtaran Adam is a 1982 Turkish adventure film also known as Turkish Star Wars because of its notorious use of unauthorized footage from Star Wars and other movies worked into the film.]

en.wikipedia.org...
www.imdb.com...

And now some new list entries from Hong Kong Cinema...

TEN YEARS (2015)



[Ten Years (Chinese: 十年; Jyutping: Sap6 Nin4) is a 2015 Hong Kong dystopian speculative fiction film. It offers a vision of the semi-autonomous territory in the year 2025, with human rights and freedoms gradually diminishing as the mainland Chinese government exerts increasing influence there. Produced on a shoestring budget, the film was a surprise hit, beating Star Wars: The Force Awakens at the Yau Ma Tei cinema where it was first released.

Due to the film's sensitive political themes, mainland Chinese authorities censored reports mentioning Ten Years except in terms of condemnation. State television channels and major internet sites were prohibited from broadcasting the 35th Hong Kong Film Awards live as the film was nominated for the Best Film Award, which it eventually won.] en.wikipedia.org...(2015_film)
www.imdb.com...
["Ten Years", a film which portrays a dystopian future Hong Kong under tight Chinese Communist Party control, has been a hit in Hong Kong and abroad, selling out cinemas, sparking discussions and being screened at international film festivals.

But Chinese state media has criticized the film and that has aroused new concern about mainland influence over Hong Kong despite a "one country, two systems" formula meant to preserve the city's autonomy.

"Ten Years" is a series of five short films packaged as a feature-length show. Set in the year 2025, the film includes scenes of a self-immolation in front of Hong Kong's British Consulate and an assassination attempt in a city election.

The scenes, while fictional, underscore tension simmering between mainland China and the former British colony that returned to Chinese rule in 1997.] www.reuters.com...